Neck and spine traction device



Nov. 19, 1957 w. COOK NECK AND SPINE TRACTION DEVICE Filed April 5, 1956 v INVENTOR WILLIAM coo/r ATTORNEYS United ttes Patent NECK AND SPEJE TRACTHUN DEVICE William Cook, Washington, it). C.

Application April 5, 1956, Serial No. 576,447

4 Claims. (Cl. 128-87) This invention is a traction device for supporting the head and spine.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple and eflicient traction device for the head and spine, wherein the entire traction load is transmitted to the hips of the wearer, no load being applied to the shoulders or other body portions of the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide a traction device for the head and spine which will allow some vertical and lateral freedom of movement for the head, in accordance with the patients condition, and yet will continually exert the necessary upward traction force on the head and spine. This enables the user to move his head and neck, which is a valuable feature in that the user can move his head and neck to some extent, thereby improving the circulation of blood through the parts and aiding in the patients recovery.

More particularly, the invention comprises a body belt which encircles the body of the wearer at the hip line; this body belt supports an upwardly extending frame in the form of an inverted U extending up over and above the head of the wearer; a head and chin strap adapted to engage under the chin and the back of the head of the wearer is connected by resilient connection elements to the upper part of the inverted U frame for exerting a steady upward traction effect on the head and neck of the wearer, such traction effect being applied by the head and chin strap.

The lower ends of the inverted U frame are variably positioned with respect to the body belt, both laterally and vertically, so that it may be fitted to the physical characteristics of the patient.

The invenion will be described in more detail in con nection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the head and traction device in use;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the head and chin strap, and

Fig. 3 is a back view of the head and chin strap.

Referring now to these drawings, the invention comprises a body encircling belt 2 of substantial width adapted to encircle the body of the wearer at the hip line. This belt is provided with the usual adjusting buckles and straps 4.

The belt 2 is provided with a plurality of upwardly opening pockets 6, these pockets being positioned at various points laterally on the belt, as well as at different levels.

A supporting frame 8 substantially in the form of an inverted U and made of a single piece of metallic rod has its two lower ends positioned in any two of the pockets 6. A head and chin strap indicated generally at 10 is provided with a portion 12 adapted to engage under the chin of the wearer and with a back portion 14 adapted to engage the lower part of the back of the head of the wearer and is provided with a securing strap 15, an ear clearance aperture 16 and with upward extensions 17.

Important features of the invention are the resilient connecting members 18 conveniently in the form of fairly 2,813,527 Patented Nov. 19, 1957 ICC heavy looped rubber straps, for connecting the head strap 10 with the upper part of supporting frame 8. To this end, the upper part of frame 8 is provided with frame encircling members 20, bent around the frame and positioned as shown in Fig. 1. These members 20 are provided with a plurality of holes 22 for receiving hooks 24, these hooks being adapted to engage with the upper looped ends of the resilient straps 18. These hooks 24 are variably positionable in elements 20 by engaging them with an appropriate hole 22 in member 20.

The resilient connectors 18 are preferably in the form of loops, the bight of each loop engaging with the hooks 24 while the lower ends of the loop pass through and are secured to a ring 26 at the upper part of the head engaging strap 10.

The lower ends of the connectors 18 may be detachably connected to the rings 26 in any convenient manner as by buckles or the like, although the preferred construction is simply to pass the lower ends of connectors 18 through the rings 26 and tying them in position by a simple knot.

The connectors 18 are readily removable so that they may be removed and replaced, to provide resilient connections which may be adjusted to vary the upward traction effect exerted by the resilient members in accordance with the needs of the patient.

The described traction device allows considerable freedom of body movement inasmuch as the entire traction load is transmitted by the frame 8 to the hip line of the wearer, allowing the patient to move his head and neck to a limited extent and thereby giving him an opportunity to exercise the parts for keeping the blood circulating, which is not possible with a more rigid type of traction device which holds the head and neck immobile.

The device has been actually tried on patients with considerable success.

I claim as my invention:

1. A traction device for the head and spine, comprising a body belt for encircling the body at the hip line, a supporting frame substantially in the shape of an inverted U, with its two lower ends engaged in said body belt, a head and chin engaging strap adapted to engage the head and chin of the user, said strap including extensions vertically above the ears of the user, and a pair of vertically extending resilient connectors, the lower ends of which respectively are secured to the upper portions of said head strap extensions and the upper ends of which are detachably secured to the bight portion of said inverted U-frame, said connectors being positioned in substantially the same plane as said inverted U-frame and providing the sole traction applying forces to said head and chin strap, whereby the user may move his head and neck laterally to the right or left while under continuous upward traction as exerted by said resilient connectors.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein. said body belt is provided with pockets at different levels for receiving and supporting the lower ends of said inverted U-frame.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein. said body belt is provided with pockets at different positions laterally thereon for receiving and supporting the lower ends of said inverted U-frame.

4. The combination of claim 1, wherein said body belt is provided with a plurality of upwardly opening pockets at various positions for detachably receiving the lower ends of said supporting frame.

The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery for April 1943, p. 473. Copy in Scientific Library. 

